Thidiazuron: a potent regulator of in vitro plant morphogenesis

• Published in: In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Plant 1998-10, Vol.34 (4), p.267-275
• Main Authors: Murthy, B.N.S. (University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.), Murch, S.J, Saxena, P.K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABSORCION DE SUSTANCIAS NUTRITIVAS; ABSORPTION DE SUBSTANCES NUTRITIVES; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; APTITUD REGENERATIVA; APTITUDE A LA REGENERATION; AUXINAS; AUXINE; AUXINS; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; CAL; CALLO; CALLUS; CELL DIFFERENTIATION; CELL MEMBRANES; CHEMICAL STRUCTURE; CHEMICOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES; CITOQUININAS; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; CULTIVO DE TEJIDOS; CULTURE DE TISSU; CYTOKININE; CYTOKININS; Developmental Biology/Morphogenesis; DIFERENCIACION CELULAR; DIFFERENCIATION CELLULAIRE; Economic plant physiology; EMBRIOGENESIS SOMATICA; EMBRYOGENESE SOMATIQUE; ENERGY METABOLISM; Establishment of new cell lines, improvement of cultural methods, mass culture; ESTRES; ESTRUCTURA QUIMICA; Eukaryotic cell cultures; EXPLANT; EXPLANTES; EXPLANTS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GROWTH; Growth and development; LITERATURE REVIEWS; MEMBRANAS CELULARES; MEMBRANE CELLULAIRE; METABOLISME ENERGETIQUE; METABOLISMO ENERGETICO; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; MICROPROPAGACION; MICROPROPAGATION; MORFOGENESIS; MORPHOGENESE; MORPHOGENESIS; Morphogenesis, differentiation, rhizogenesis, tuberization. Senescence; NUTRIENT UPTAKE; Plant cells; Plant cells and fungal cells; Plant growth regulators; Plant tissues; Plants; PROPIEDADES FISICOQUIMICAS; PROPRIETE PHYSICOCHIMIQUE; REGENERATIVE ABILITY; Seedlings; SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS; STRESS; STRUCTURE CHIMIQUE; THIDIAZURON; TIDIAZURON; TISSUE CULTURE
• ISSN: 1054-5476; 1475-2689
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02822732

TDZ (N-phenyl-N′-1,2,3-thidiazol-5-ylurea) is a substituted phenylurea compound which was developed for mechanized harvesting of cotton bolls and has now emerged as a highly efficacious bioregulant of morphogenesis in the tissue culture of many plant species. Application of TDZ induces a diverse array of cultural responses ranging from induction of callus to formation of somatic embryos. TDZ exhibits the unique property of mimicking both auxin and cytokinin effects on growth and differentiation of cultured explants, although structurally it is different from either auxins or purine-based cytokinins. A number of physiological and biochemical events in cells are likely to be influenced by TDZ, but these may or may not be directly related to the induction of morphogenic responses, and hence, the mode of action of TDZ is unknown. However, the recent approaches applied to study the morphogenic events initiated by TDZ are clearly beginning to reveal the details of a variety of underlying mechanisms. Various reports indicate that TDZ may act through modulation of the endogenous plant growth regulators, either directly or as a result of induced stress. The other possibilities include the modification in cell membranes, energy levels, nutrient uptake, or nutrient assimilation. In this review, several of these possibilities are presented and discussed in light of recently published studies on characterization of TDZ-induced morphogenic effects.